Candids.

Sometimes I can be a bit slow. I’m finally updating my actual website (I’ve spent far more time on this blog in the last few years and the portfolio has gotten neglected). In the (slow) process of doing that, I realized that I don’t really feature a lot of what I do at events and weddings, and that is take candid shots. Secretly (or not so secret since I’m telling all of you), they’re some of my favorite photos to take. I love watching people and catching that moment when the smile is right, the expression is natural, and the moment is pretty. Here’s a few favorites from a wedding reception I did last fall. I’m going to dig into the archives and hopefully bring you a few more posts along these lines.

Oh that’s so cool – thanks!
So I shoot with Nikons, but lenses are pretty standard in terms of depth of field/focal length so the same concepts should apply. For portraits I use either a 50mm or an 85mm, in a fixed focal length lens (in other words, you can’t zoom – it’s always 50mm or 85mm). The price of the lens will vary based on how low you can get the f-stop to go. The lower, the more expensive. I’d recommend buying the lowest f-stop you can afford. Of the two lengths, I think the 50 is probably more versatile – I use that one all the time when I travel & walk around town. If you’re not focusing on a person, it’s just a little tighter than what your natural eye will see in a scene, but pretty realistic, which I like. An 85mm is quite a bit tighter (or more zoomed in). I did most of the candids on this posts with an 85 – it’s great for pulling into conversations and capturing people up close without standing on top of them in a small space, but it’s a little more of a speciality lens. After that novel, I’d buy a 50mm first, see how you like it & consider an 85 if you want something a little different.